Assignment: Treating Sexual Trauma Survivors: Cultural, Ethical, and Legal Issues

Intimate trauma involves one person’s intentional violation of another’s body. The impact of intimate trauma on the survivor is distinct from that experienced by those involved in collective traumas. Issues of traumatic sexualization, identity confusion, safety, and powerlessness, among others, abound in intimate—or sexual—trauma survivors. Layered responses to sexual trauma refer to those that are more visible, such as depression or PTSD, as well as others that may remain hidden, such as suicidal tendencies. Layered responses complicate the recovery process, demanding specialized skills and interventions specific to the needs of the sexual trauma survivor. These needs are influenced by the survivor’s gender, age, and culture. Appropriate interventions can have a positive impact on the quality of recovery for the client, while inappropriate interventions can have adverse effects, leading to potential legal and ethical issues. Thus, it is important that you are adequately trained and prepared to provide services to sexual trauma survivors.

For this Assignment, Read the case study Sandra located in this week’s resources. Think about the effects of the trauma on Sandra and the interventions you might use to help Sandra deal with those effects. Consider the cultural, ethical, and legal issues related to Sandra’s treatment.

The Assignment (2–3 pages):

• Explain the effects of sexual trauma on Sandra.
• Describe two specific interventions you might use to help Sandra deal with those effects.
• Explain any cultural, ethical, and legal issues related to Sandra’s treatment.
• Explain what might be different in the effects of the trauma and the interventions you might select if Sandra had been a male.

Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are required to provide a reference list and to appropriately cite, in APA style, all references used within your Assignment.

Resources: 

Sandra case study uploaded

https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/10.1177/1524838014566721

James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

• Chapter 9, “Sexual Assault” (pp. 240-285)

© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 1 of 1

Case Study: Sandra

Sandra, a 28-year-old female, seeks treatment for issues of depression. After three
sessions, she reports that she was sexually abused from ages 4 to 9 by an uncle, after
which she experienced two date/acquaintance rapes her senior year in high school.
Sandra states that she told her mother, who accused her of making up stories and
demanded she not say another word. She also reported an older female cousin had
“played doctor” with her on several occasions, including examining her private parts with
a “tube” and checking her tonsils with her tongue.

Sandra states she spent most of her time drunk from ages 18 to 22 and slept with many
men during this time period. She states she often thought of suicide during this time
period, although she only had one real attempt in which she tried to drive her car into a
lake but blew out a tire before reaching the water.

Sandra states she has very few friends and no longer talks with anyone in her family.
She reports not being able to keep a boyfriend and believes that the few friends she
does have talk about her behind her back.

Sandra reports not drinking for the last few years and is determined not to drink again
due to her raising her 2-year-old child. She states that she wants to be a good mother.
The father is “out of the picture,” so Sandra is raising her child on her own.